turning ho-hum into huzzah.

do you remember when i went to ikea a few weeks ago and picked up this plain jane table runner? well of course you do. i hinted that i had some DIY plans in the works for it. last night i made good on that promise. i now present the DIY geometric table runner tutorial (for a lack of a better name).

oh, hello, maskros shadows.

step 1) get yourself a marit table runner from ikea. or if you prefer, you could use a canvas drop cloth. however, the marit is the easiest option. no sewing, gluing or ironing required. we love that.

step 2) begin taping out any sort of geometric pattern that tickles your fancy. i started by taping diagonal stripes beginning in the corner.

step 3) change directions. i chose to go vertically, but you can make your stripes go wherever your heart desires.

step 4) change directions again. next, i taped some more diagonal stripes, but in the opposite direction of the first set of diagonal tape.

step 5) continue to alternate the direction of your stripes until you've covered the surface of the runner with small groupings of stripes. be careful not to repeat groupings next to each other.

step 6) you're ready to paint now. any old paint will do. i used a little sample can of orange latex house paint. at this point, you have a couple of different options. do you want bold, saturated color or a dry brush look? i chose the dry brush look by barely applying paint to the brush and lightly applying the paint. if you want a saturated look, load on the paint and apply a couple of coats.

step 7) let the paint dry for a couple of hours (depending on the amount of paint you use). peel away the tape. this is by far my favorite part of this project. i loooove peeling away tape.

that's it. really, it couldn't be any simpler. i plan on stocking up on marit runners the next time i'm at ikea. it would be so easy to paint many different colors and designs and hand these puppies out as hosstess gifts or any other occassion that requires some sort of a handout.

there you have it. hopefully you have as much fun with this project as i did.